Steering tabs, vanes maintain direction in flight

The V-2 rocket maintained its direction in flight with steering tabs on its fins and graphite steering vanes. These vanes were located in the rocket’s exhaust and had to be strong enough to handle hot gasses, 2,700 degrees Celsius, passing over them while the rocket thundered into the skies. The steering mechanisms where guided by an advanced gyroscopic system inside the body of the rocket. While many rockets today have gimbaling the rocket motors to steer, some of the first American rockets mimicked the V-2’s steering system. The famous Redstone rocket family, first flown in 1953, retained the V-2’s graphite vanes to help direct the rocket in flight.

Share your comments: Log in using your HeraldNet account or your Facebook, Twitter or Disqus profile. Comments that violate the rules are subject to removal. Please see our terms of use. Please note that you must verify your email address for your comments to appear.